A couple who turned to alcohol after their baby daughter died have described how their grief-fuelled battle with alcoholism saw their two surviving sons almost taken into care.

When Sophie Ogden and Alex McLean, from Wallasey, Merseyside, lost their daughter Shola to cot death at just six months old in 1999, the pair began drinking heavily to numb the pain.

Despite going on to have two more children, Sophie, 36, and Alex, 51, struggled to control their addiction and eventually faced an ultimatum from authorities after their drinking reached an all-time low.

Sophie Ogden, 36, and Alex McLean, 51, pictured with sons (from left) Callum, 11, and AJ, 14, have spoken out about how their alcohol addiction, prompted by the death of their first child Shola, ravaged their lives

'Alcohol numbed the pain': Sophie and Alex, left, turned to drink to deal with the grief of losing baby Shola, pictured right with clippings from local newspapers and a lock of hair, who was found lifeless at six months

Sophie has now spoken out about her long-standing addiction, saying: 'I began drinking to get over losing one baby - but the booze almost cost me my other two children.'

Neither of the couple had a drink problem when they met 19 years ago.

When their daughter Shola was born in August 1998, two years after they met, the couple was ecstatic.

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Sophie says: 'I was over the moon when I fell pregnant. Alex worked hard and we got our own place and decorated the nursery. We couldn't wait.

'It was a difficult birth but Shola was just perfect. I adored being a mum.'

However, six months later, Sophie woke early one morning to find Shola lifeless beside her.

She says: 'I was hysterical. We called an ambulance and I was screaming at Alex to save her. But there was nothing anyone could do.

'We knew about cot death; my mum had lost two babies to cot death so we were very vigilant and careful. I never thought it would happen to me.

A happy family: When Shola was born, the couple, who had been dating for two years, were over the moon

The family headstone where baby Shola was laid to rest and, right, Sophie with her daughter before her death

After a difficult birth, Shola was born in 1998; mum Sophie and dad Alex were ecstatic but cot death would claim the life of their little girl just six months later

'The worst thing was coming home from the hospital without my baby daughter. I was absolutely destroyed; lost and empty.

'The house was full of Shola's photos, of her toys and her teddies. I couldn't get rid of anything because I didn't want to accept she had gone.'

As the couple struggled with their grief, they made a suicide pact together but were unable to carry their plan through. Instead, they hit the bottle to deal with the grief.

Sophie began drinking two bottles of brandy a day, she says: 'Alex and I argued constantly. He would disappear on his bike, and go cycling for hours. I was very lonely and I turned to drink.

'Alcohol numbed the pain.'

Alex also sought solace in alcohol and the couple's addiction began to spiral out of control.

The couple decided to try for another baby, believing that somehow a new life would bring back their daughter. Their son, AJ, was born in July 2000.

Sophie says: 'I didn't drink at all when I was pregnant. I was desperate for a daughter, and I admit I sobbed when a scan showed I was carrying a son.

The births of sons AJ, left, and Callum, right, helped to ease the pain of Shola's death but Sophie and Alex found it difficult to control their addiction to alcohol and continued to drink

Although neither Sophie, left, or Alex, right, had a drink problem when they met, the loss of daughter Shola would be the catalyst for both of them to become alcoholics

'My whole family - everyone except me - could see it wasn't right for me to have another daughter.

'I adored AJ, but of course he was no replacement for Shola.

'Looking at him, I could see Shola in his eyes, and it hurt so much.

'We were terrified of losing AJ the same way and Alex refused to sleep each night because he wanted to watch over our son.

'Alex was drinking more and more and I found myself drinking again, though not to the same levels.'

When AJ was four, Sophie had a second son, Callum.

She says: 'I was drinking on and off, even during the pregnancy. I didn't drink a lot but I know it was wrong.'

In the years while the boys were young, Sophie and Alex's drinking got worse.

Sophie says: 'I began drinking to get over losing one baby - but the booze almost cost me my other two children.

'I am just so thankful that my wake up call came just in time.

'I'm determined now to be a good mum for my other two children. I won't drink again.'

She says: 'I had to accept that nothing would bring Shola back. I loved my two sons very much but I couldn't get Shola out of my mind. I didn't want to.'

Harm: Sophie's addiction to booze caused her to take her eyes off her sons; her youngest, Callum, was hit by a taxi while playing out in the street and needed stitches to his leg

A final blow-out would prove a step too far: police warned the couple that they risked losing their sons if they didn't manage to beat their addiction. After entering rehab in January 2013, both Sophie and Alex have been sober for two years

Sophie found herself buying two bottles of brandy every morning, whilst Alex was downing eight cans of lager each day.

She says: 'I was a secret drinker. I would drop AJ at school and then go straight to the off-licence to buy brandy.

'I'd hide vodka and brandy all round the house. I couldn't even do the supermarket shop unless I was steaming drunk.

'Alex and I rowed so much that we had separate flats, next door to each other.

'I became so selfish and blinkered. I didn't realise how it was affecting my sons - I didn't even think of them.

'I allowed them to play out, near a main road, without a thought for the danger. Callum was hit by a taxi and needed stitches in his leg.

'The boys' behaviour got very bad, they were throwing stones at passing cars, and yet I just drank more and more to blot out the stress.'

Just over two years ago, she collapsed in agony and was rushed to hospital with liver damage and suspected pancreatitis.

Social services and health workers got involved and when she was allowed home, Sophie made plans to change.

She and Alex decided to have one last blow out, on New Year's Eve 2012. But they got so drunk that their older son, AJ, called the police.

Sophie says: 'The police officer told us we were going to lose our kids if we didn't sort ourselves out.

'Alex was arrested and held overnight without charges.

'We both knew, in our hearts, that it had all gone too far.'

In January 2013 the couple both began detox programmes involving regular tests. They have now been sober for almost two years.

Sophie has learned to drive and has taken AJ, now 14, and Callum, now 11, on their first holiday, camping.

She says: 'When we were drunks, we did nothing with our kids. I always loved them but I wasn't a good mum.

'Now, we go camping and Alex takes them fishing. Their behaviour has improved so much. It's only now, listening to them, that I realise what they have been through.

'I will always miss Shola but I also realise I am so lucky to have two wonderful sons. It's time now to look to the future and stop dwelling on the past.

'Staying sober is not easy, but Alex and I support each other. We've done this together.'

The couple are also fundraising for The Lullaby Trust, a charity which aims to prevent child deaths, in memory of the daughter they lost. They completed a charity walk on what would have been Shola's 16th birthday.